Motorcycles Run to the Desert in Soap Lake
The second annual John Larson Memorial Poker Run was held on Saturday. The run started at the Del Red Pub in Soap Lake and went all the way to Grand Coulee before returning to Soap Lake.
REBECCA PETTINGILL/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Run to the Desert brought motorcycle enthusiasts to Soap Lake for a weekend of fun.
There were vendor booths set up at Smokiam Park in Soap Lake all weekend for Run to the Desert.
Many attendees of Run to the Desert wore their jackets, showcasing their patches, club and organization affiliations.
Run to the Desert had vendor booths, live music, a beer garden, biker games, a bike show, a poker run and a raffle.
SOAP LAKE — The sixth annual Run to the Desert, including the second annual John Larson Memorial Poker Run, was held this past weekend in Soap Lake.
“We started this in Moses Lake and we decided to come down here to support and be a part of the Soap Lake community and bring back a motorcycle event here,” said organizer Susan Carson.
She explained for many years there was always the Pig Run or Run To The Sun in Soap Lake but for quite a while it wasn’t happening.
“This community always had open arms to the motorcycle riders so that's when we decided to go ahead and start this up again,” Carson said.
Carson is also the public relations coordinator for ABATE of Washington. ABATE of Washington is a not-for-profit organization that promotes freedom of the road. Membership is open to anyone, whether they ride a motorcycle or not, but is mainly composed of riders.
While Run to the Desert was held Friday through Sunday, the main events happened on Saturday at Smokiam Park. There were vendor booths, live music, a beer garden, biker games, a bike show, a poker run and a raffle.
Carson said the turnout for the weekend was lower than expected, most likely due to the strong wind the whole weekend.
The John Larson Memorial Poker Run saw over a dozen bikes ride all the way to Grand Coulee and back, with five stops to get their cards. All proceeds from the poker run registration were donated to the Soap Lake Food Bank. Carson said that ended up being a total of $775, including donations.
The poker run started at the Del Red Pub, where the roots of the run are thick. The Del Red Pub was co-owned by Jill and John Larson until John’s passing in 2020. John was a known biker in the community.
“It will always be the John Larson Memorial Run,” said Carson. ”We will continue to do this no matter where we move Run to the Desert and it will always start here at the Del Red.”
Carson said the event is meant not only to bring those in the motorcycle world together but also to bring the public in and promote awareness and safety for those riding.
“We’re going to continue to have this and promote motorcycle safety and motorcycle awareness,” said Carson. “Because unfortunately we’re on two wheels and that doesn’t necessarily mean that people are seeing us so the more poker runs, the more we’re out and about, the more people might pay attention.”
Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
Top Desert Runners:
• People’s Choice - Jerry Penor
• First Place Custom Show Bike - Jerry Penor
• First Place Custom Show Trike - Jo Penor
• First Place American Bagger - Eric Lundt
Further results were not available at press time.
